The World Stops
by mcdreamy-lover89
Summary: Meredith didn't think anyone knew, Derek knew but he pretended he didn't. Post 411, MerDer are broken up but Meredith still needs to feel safe. Kind of sad but sweet too. Oh some spoilers I have heard are in this you won't know which ones they are unless


_Meredith didn't think anyone knew, Derek knew but he pretended he didn't. Post 411, MerDer are broken up but Meredith still needs to feel safe. Kind of sad but sweet too. Oh some spoilers I have heard are in this you won't know which ones they are unless you have read them I guess! One Shot._

**The World Stops.**

_"Its the moment afterwards when the world stops. I feel so safe... So safe"_

**Meredith was tired, tired was an under statement, she was exhausted. She hadn't gotten a good nights sleep since she and Derek broke up, she missed him. All the time she missed him, it hurt so much more than it did last time they broke up, she didn't know why but she didn't think she was going to be able to pick herself back up this time. She barely managed it last time. To make things worse he had moved on, he was dating that nurse while Meredith's life stayed the same. She didn't go out and get drunk anymore, it felt wrong. At least last time she had her tequila to help the pain but now she didn't feel the need for it. **

**Tonight she was on call, she was glad of it, an excuse why she couldn't go to Joe's with her friends and she wasn't crying herself to sleep over the love of her life not being there. She walked past Derek's office, she stopped. She knew she shouldn't but it was the only way she could get some sleep. The first time she did it was just to be near to him but she found herself doing it every time she was on call, it was like an addiction. They had alot of good times in his office, his leather desk chair told alot of stories. It made her so sad to think that it was all in the past. She looked around, Derek was probably out with his **_**nurse **_**anyway. OK Meredith stop being bitter, he is moving on and you are being the bigger person. Meredith tried the door, he forgot to lock it when he was leaving so she walked inside. It was the same as ever, just a couch, desk, chair and his lab top. He also had a change of shirt hanging over his chair. Meredith walked over and picked up his blue shirt, she put it to her nose and breathed in the scent that was uniquely Derek. Pain and longing surged through her. She missed him so much. Tears came and she collapsed on his couch with his shirt. Meredith lay down with the shirt over her and fell into a peaceful sleep, in his office with his scent was the only time she got a good nights sleep.**

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**Derek walked into Seattle Grace Hospital early, he was hoping to get breakfast and a coffee before his shift started, he had a late night with Mark and really needed a lift before his first surgery. He grabbed a black coffee and a chocolate muffin before heading towards his office. The hospital was farely quiet because of the early morning. When he walked into his office he stopped when he saw Meredith curled up on his couch asleep, covered by his shirt. His heart ached, she looked so beautiful lying there, he always wondered why she came in here all the time and the answer he was getting made him smile a little. She missed him. Maybe she even missed him as much as he missed her. He quietly moved around his office, not wanting to disturb her. He quickly changed into his scrubs and put on his lab coat, he knelt down beside her and gently kissed her head like he did the first time he found her there, he did it ever since. He got up and headed for the door, before he left he took one last look at the love of his life and he left, closing the door quietly behind him.**

**Meredith jerked awake at the sound of her pager going off. It took her a minute to realize where she was, she blushed when she did figure it out and quickly got up. She put his blue shirt back where she got it and quickly left his office, Derek would be in soon and the last thing she needed was for him to discover how pathetic she was. Clinging to his shirt on his couch. She was definitely pathetic. She walked quickly to the Residents locker room where she was being paged to.**

**"Grey your late" Bailey snapped.**

**"Sorry. I was um asleep" Meredith stuttered and quickly cleaned herself up.**

**"Alright you all know what your doing, why are you still standing in front of me?" Bailey snapped. Everyone was kicked into action. Cristina waited for Meredith.**

**"I am on Hahn's service. God Mer I won't get a surgery. What have you got? I'll trade you" Cristina sighed.**

**"No surgery's" Meredith sighed. "I am not assigned to anyone" She shrugged.**

**"Damn" Cristina frowned. "Anything good come in?"**

**"Nothing" Meredith yawned.**

**"Lunch?"**

**"Yeah" Meredith said absent mindly. Cristina nodded, she was so tired of pod Meredith. She wanted her person back. Meredith walked and stood in front of the OR board. Derek was in surgery now, she knew she shouldn't but she found herself heading towards his OR anyway. She took a seat at the back of the gallery and watched him work. George was in with him and when George glanced up at the gallery he raised his eyebrows in acknowledgement of Meredith's presence. Meredith smiled back at him. Derek glanced at George who was looking up at the gallery and looked up himself. He locked eyes with Meredith and his heart skipped a beat. He definitely missed her. Meredith couldn't breathe under his gaze so she quickly got out of there. Why couldn't she just move on from Derek Shepherd?**

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**Derek walked out of his office at the end of his shift, he put the key in the lock to lock the door but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Meredith was on call tonight and he secretly hoped she would be in his office when he got back in the morning. He took his key back out and left his door unlocked. The last person he did want to run into on his way to meeting Mark was of course Rose but God wasn't on his side.**

**"Hey" She smiled.**

**"Oh um hey" Derek sighed.**

**"You OK?" She asked in her usual annoyingly cheerful voice. **

**"Yeah, tired" Derek tried to smile but failed.**

**"Oh right" She smiled. "I was wondering if you wanted to do something tonight? To um celebrate the fact that we have been together a month" Rose smiled. "Maybe um go back to your place" She hinted. Derek flinched inwardly, she was expecting sex. He couldn't have sex with her. No way, and what was with the together a month? A month anniversary? Is there such a thing? He couldn't help but think that Meredith wouldn't give a crap about those sort of things. That's why he loved her. **

**"Sorry Rose but I um... I can't, I have already made plans with Mark and I can't um let him down. He's my best friend you know?" Derek stuttered. He knew he would ditch Mark in a second if Meredith wanted him to but Rose, no with Rose, Mark came first.**

**"Oh right. Maybe another time then?" She asked hopeful.**

**"Yeah maybe" He mumbled and walked out of the hospital and across to Joe's where Mark was waiting.**

**Meredith felt like an idiot as she tried Derek's office door again. It was open again which she found strange, Derek always locked his door. She shrugged and walked inside. She lay down on his couch with his shirt and fell asleep. It was pathetic but it was the only time she slept.**

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**Derek smiled when he found her asleep again. He leaned down beside her and breathed her in. The lavender smell that was his Meredith's filled his nostrils and his heart felt a little less broken. He gently kissed her forehead, he was careful not to wake her as he got changed and left the office again. He found himself living for the moments with Meredith in his office. Even if she was asleep.**

**Meredith woke up and quickly left Derek's office. She was assigned to him today and she was dreading it. Working with Derek was always so hard. They lived in silence it was an awful days work. She went to the locker room to freshen herself up before going to find him. He was leaning against the nurses station in his usual arrogant but sexy manner. She took a deep breath and walked up to him. He glanced at her, he wanted so badly to touch her but he knew he couldn't. They were not together anymore, it was fact. No matter how much he missed her and how much he knew she missed him they were not together. He often thought about letting her know that he knew she slept in his office, but if he was honest he was scared to. He was afraid she would stop if he told her he knew and then he would never get to see her. He imagined himself telling her and admitting he missed her too and she would fall into his arms, but this was Meredith and he knew Meredith would run.**

**"Good morning Dr Shepherd" Meredith whispered.**

**"Dr Grey" Derek sighed and handed her the chart. "Prep and I'll see you in the OR" He said in his most professional tone before walking away from her. He hated the way they were now, he loved her so much. Too much to see her and not touch her. It broke his heart.**

**Meredith watched him walk away and fought the urge to call him back and kiss him in the middle of the hall way. She sighed and walked towards her patient, dreading the silence that there will be in the OR.**

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**It was a successful surgery, Meredith and Derek were alone in the scrub room washing their hands and stealing glances at each other. Derek glanced at his watch, he was meeting Rose and he was late. Not that he really cared. Meredith saw him do it and before she could stop herself she was snapping at him.**

**"Late for your date?" She scowled. Derek glanced at her and sighed.**

**"Yeah I am actually" He said softly. Meredith looked at him, not knowing what to say.**

**"Oh well, I'm sure she won't mind. She gets the whole um you know surgery thing." Meredith smiled weakly and walked out. Derek stared after and held back tears he wanted so badly to cry.**

**"She doesn't get it as well as others might" He muttered to himself. He finished getting washed and walked up to his office to get changed. He walked slowly over to Joe's and sat beside Mark.**

**"Don't you have a date man?" Mark frowned.**

**"Yeah I'll go in a minute" Derek sighed and took a long sip of Mark's scotch.**

**"Oh don't mind me" Mark teased and walked up to the bar to get two more. Mark came back and put a double scotch in front of Derek. Derek glanced up at the bar, Cristina and Izzy were sitting there talking amongst themselves. No Meredith. **

**"Whats wrong with you?" Mark frowned. The bell on top of the bar door rang to let people know someone was entering, Derek looked over his shoulder and saw his Meredith walk in, but she wasn't his anymore. **

**"She doesn't trust me" Derek muttered. Mark frowned in confusion but it clicked when he saw Meredith sit down with her friends.**

**"Yeah well if you don't your next relationship to go that way you better start moving" He smiled.**

**"Yeah yeah" Derek sighed and took another long sip of his drink. Mark's pager went and he stood up.**

**"Duty calls I guess. I'll see you later" Mark smiled.**

**"Yeah" Derek smiled. He stared up at Meredith who returned his stare. Cristina got annoyed and called a random guy over for Meredith but she glared at Cristina and walked out. Derek smiled to himself. She didn't want another guy. With that he pulled out his cell.**

**"Hello?" Rose smiled.**

**"Hey Rose" Derek sighed. "Look I am held up at the hospital I can't make it."**

**"Oh right" Rose said obviously disappointed.**

**"Sorry" He muttered. He was being a bastard doing it over the phone but he couldn't help himself. "Actually Rose I don't think this is really working"**

**"What?" Rose frowned. "Your breaking up with me?"**

**"Um yeah, I'm sorry I just think its for the best. I'm sorry"**

**"Right" Rose said, trying not to sound hurt. "Well goodbye Derek"**

**"Bye" He said, his voice emotionless. He only asked Rose out to piss Meredith off but it somehow escalated. He shouldn't have used her in the first place really. He finished his drink and smirked at the death glare Cristina was giving him as he walked out of the bar and into the Seattle night. He thought about going home but the hospital on call room sounded better so he strolled back over to Seattle Grace and lay on a bunk bed. He felt better now that he wasn't living a lie with Rose anymore and sleep came easier.**

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**Derek woke up with a start. He was disorientated and didn't know where he was. When he woke up properly he realized it was an on call room. He sighed and got up, he walked out and checked his watch, it was only 4AM. He didn't start until nine but since he was up anyway he decided to get changed into his scrubs and maybe grab some coffee in the cafeteria before rounding on his patients. He was surprised to find Meredith asleep on his couch, she wasn't on call last night. This time she had his lab coat wrapped around her. He smiled at how cute she was. Before he knew what he was doing, he was lying on the couch beside her and wrapping his arms around her. He pulled her against him and breathed her in. Right then his reality shifted and his world stopped. His heart was suddenly whole again, this is how it was meant to be. This is how he wanted to end a long shift, and how he wanted to wake every morning. Everything else was irrelevant. Who cared if she wasn't ready? As long as he could do this, nothing else mattered. He fell back asleep instantly feeling like everything had been lifted from him. **

**When Meredith woke up, she smiled as she breathed Derek's scent, it was stronger than usual. His cologne was strong, it made Meredith feel whole again. That's when she felt them, hands resting on her stomach and heat radiating against her back, someone was beside her. She panicked and jumped up, Derek fell off the couch and woke with a fright.**

**"What the..." He muttered and rubbed his hair sleepily.**

**"Derek?" Meredith asked completely shocked and embarrassed. "What are you doing here?"**

**"Well it is my office" He chuckled and stood up.**

**"I mean... I know it is but... Its early you shouldn't be here and you were asleep... Beside me... In your office" She rambled nervously.**

**"I came in early and you had my lab coat. You know I'm not superman without my lab coat and I couldn't bring myself to wake you and take it back. Besides it looked comfortable" He smiled. **

**"That is harassment you know" Meredith frowned and sat up.**

**"Is it?" Derek smirked.**

**"Yes" Meredith nodded. **

**"And what is you breaking into my office?"**

**"The door was open" Meredith defended.**

**"Oh" He laughed.**

**"Stop laughing its not funny" Meredith snapped and got up. She walked towards the door.**

**"Meredith wait" Derek sighed. She stopped and looked at him. "I miss you" He admitted. "And you obviously miss me" He pointed towards the couch.**

**"I don't miss you. All the beds were taken" Meredith said lamely.**

**"You were not on call last night" Derek smiled.**

**"How do you know that?"**

**"Because I know your time table. Didn't you think it was strange that my office door was always open? You know I always lock my door" He smiled.**

**"You knew?" Meredith blushed.**

**"Of course" He smiled. "I even got up early just to see you" **

**"Why didn't you say anything?" Meredith asked.**

**"Because then you would have stopped" He smiled.**

**"I miss you" She admitted.**

**"I know" He sighed. "I'm sorry"**

**"Me too"**

**"We have really done a number on each other huh?" He smiled.**

**"Yes" Meredith sighed.**

**"Come here" He smiled sadly and pulled her against him. "I am not going anywhere, you don't have to trust me or build a house just yet, none of that matters. Someday you will trust me again and in the meantime I am going to everything I can to show you I can actually be trusted."**

**"I'll stop running" Meredith muttered against his chest. "Your nurse?" She looked at him.**

**"I broke up with her last night"**

**"Right" Meredith sighed and pulled him against her again. They have demolished each other. The only way to go now is up. As long as they were together none of it mattered.**


End file.
